3.1 Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a portable electronic device carrier for carrying a battery powered portable device. In particular, the device carrier includes an integrated battery charger or charge controller, an input interface connectible to an external power or energy source, and a device interface that provides electrical access to the electronic device battery. An optional output interface is provided to connect the device battery to a power load other than the electronic device.
3.2 The Related Art
Hand held military radios such as AN/PRC-148, AN/PRC-152, and AN/PRC-153 typically use removable rechargeable batteries for power. In field operations or missions, an infantry soldier carries or ports a radio that includes a primary battery installed inside. Typically, the infantry soldier ports replacement batteries to use when the primary battery is depleted. The primary battery is typically discarded after it is depleted to reduce weight. There is a need in the art to reduce the weight of equipment that is ported by an infantry soldier and to scavenge power from power or energy sources that may become available in the field or that are already ported by the infantry solder(s) on a mission.
Conventional hand-held rechargeable military batteries are recharged with battery chargers supplied by the battery manufacturer and third party suppliers. Such battery chargers are typically standalone recharger units that include an input power interface for receiving input power from available power or energy sources, which in military environments are usually DC power sources at a fixed DC voltage but which may be powered by AC grid power. An input power or energy source, such as a DC power supply or another battery, is connected to the input power interface to power the battery charger. The battery charger includes an output interface connectable to a battery or batteries or to a battery powered electronic device that includes a battery charger interface. In either case, the battery charger determines battery type, state of charge, and other parameters related to charging the battery and delivering an appropriate recharging power signal to the battery. Typically, the charging signal is actively modified during a charge cycle to avoid damaging the battery by exceeding current limits or overcharging. Various conventional battery chargers charge one or more batteries while they are removed from the electronic device, or if the electronic device includes a suitable charging interface, a battery may be recharged while the battery is installed in the electronic device, depending on the configuration of the electronic device, the battery, and/or the battery charger.
One problem with conventional battery chargers is that they require a specific input power signal, e.g. a predetermined DC voltage and usually a specific connector configuration; neither of which may be available in military field operations. Another problem with conventional battery chargers is that the charger and the electronic device, or battery, is tethered to the power source by a wire and the electronic device is either not usable or not portable during the charging cycle. This is especially problematic in military environments where mobility and continuous use of electronic devices such as radios, night vision systems and or navigation equipment is critical to the safety of infantry personnel.
One solution to the problem of using a military radio when no charged batteries are available is addressed by a battery eliminator. A battery eliminator is an electronic device with the same form factor as the radio battery that fits into the radio in place of the primary battery. The battery eliminator includes an attached input power cord or cable tethered to the battery eliminator and connectable to a suitable input power or energy source, which is typically another battery that would not fit into the radio. Thus using the battery eliminator, the radio can be powered by sharing a battery with another device even when the shared battery does not fit into the radio. While the battery eliminator solves the problem of using the radio as a handheld device while its primary battery is removed (e.g. while the primary battery is being recharged), the radio is still tethered to the power source (another battery) and therefore not may not be portable while the battery eliminator is installed.
A solution that allows a portable electronic device to be ported while it is being charged is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,184,654 to Bachner III et al. entitled WEARABLE DOCKING-HOLSTER SYSTEM WITH ENERGY MANAGEMENT TO SUPPORT PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICES. Bachner III et al disclose a wearable holster for carrying a handheld, power intensive electronic device, such as a cellular telephone. The holster includes an input power interface, a charge controller, a supplemental battery pack, and a charge/discharge controller. The charge controller is disposed between the input power interface and the supplemental battery pack and the charge/discharge controller is disposed between the supplemental battery and the cellular telephone when the cellular telephone is installed in the holster. The charge controller charges the supplemental battery pack when the wearable holster is connected to a power source. The charge controller includes power converter elements to step up or step down the voltage of a power signal received from the power source. The charge controller includes an element to terminate charging when the supplemental battery pack is fully charged. The cellular telephone interfaces with the charge/discharge controller when the cellular telephone is installed in the holster. The charge/discharge controller operates to charge the cellular telephone battery using the supplemental battery pack as an energy source. The cellular telephone can be used to make calls while it is installed in the holster and while its battery is being charged by the supplemental battery pack.
While the wearable holster disclosed by Bachner III et al. allows the cellular telephone battery to be charged while being ported by a user and allows the user to use the cellular telephone as a hand held device while it is being charged, Bachner III et al. fails to address the problem of reducing portable weight because the portable charger includes a supplemental battery pack, which is essentially the same as carrying a spare battery. Many third party vendors sell a tactical (military) radio pouch or portable electronic device carrier suitable for hands free porting of the radio by an infantry soldier in the field. The most common application for the pouch is for hands free porting of a battery/radio combination and the pouch is configured to allow the user to use the radio while it is still inside the pouch. However, in conventional embodiments, the radio battery cannot be charged while the radio is installed in the radio pouch.
A further solution is provided by SolarStik, Inc. which sells the WASP portable power adapter in various power output capacities (see www.solarstik.com). The WASP portable power adapter includes a charging head that controls a battery charging profile, an input power interface connectable to input power sources and an output power interface connectible to the battery being charged. In practice the WASP devices are used to recharge multiple types of batteries from alternative power sources, including other batteries and a solar blanket. The WASP portable power adapter is optionally sold with a wearable carrying pouch, a portable solar blanket and selected input and output wire cables suited to a particular input and output requirement. While the WASP portable power adapter can be used to recharge a radio battery and includes a wearable carrying pouch, the radio battery must be removed from the radio and the WASP portable power adapter fails to solve the problem of tethering the battery being charged to an input power source.
In view of the foregoing, there is still a need in the art for a portable radio carrier that allows the radio to be used without removing it from the radio carrier and to be charged without tethering the radio to a fixed power or energy source. Additionally, there is still a need to reduce portable weight, e.g. by reducing the number of spare radio batteries that are carried by the infantry soldier on a mission. More generally, there is a need in the art to provide more opportunities to charge device batteries without tethering the device to a power or energy supply.